


Worth the Trip

by DestinyIslandWanderer



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Feels, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Hook-Up, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Road Trip, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:22:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26462602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyIslandWanderer/pseuds/DestinyIslandWanderer
Summary: He knows Ignis has unspoken rules, even if they’re enforced with a gentle hand. No clothes come off, no intimate touches, just making out, plain and simple, in the back of a car, like they’re still a couple of teenagers. So when Ignis invites Gladio up to his apartment, it sends a shockwave through his entire system. This is so much deeper than they ever agreed they’d go.New chapter:Gladio discovers Ignis went on a date with Nyx and confronts him about it, leading Ignis to reconsider the relationship.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Mentioned Ignis/Nyx
Comments: 30
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

Gladio feels a little pathetic about how quickly he rushes to grab his car keys after receiving a summons from an adorably tipsy Ignis Scientia, but then again, Ignis always makes it worth the trip.

It isn’t like Gladio was doing anything besides watching TV anyway. He revs his engine and speeds just enough to not get pulled over because he knows Ignis will tease him if he takes too long. Not like getting teased by Ignis is a _bad_ thing, it’s just that Gladio’s pretty eager to see him too, especially in one of these rare, unguarded moments where they can discuss something besides Noctis and their duty to the crown.

In truth, Gladio wishes Ignis would call him like this every night. 

He pulls up outside the bar, a trendy place that Gladio remembers has some kind of stupid name, like “tree” or “wood” or something. 

_Oak._ It’s called Oak. Gladio would roll his eyes at that if the next thing he saw didn’t put such a huge smile on his face.

It’s Ignis walking out of the bar. He’s got an attractive woman clinging to each arm, and they’re smiling and laughing like they’re all best friends even though Gladio is positive they all just met tonight because women love Ignis, and Ignis loves women.

Of course, it’s in a purely intellectual, emotional sense—otherwise Gladio’s hormones would be raging with jealousy, and he thinks Ignis knows that, which is why he chooses his flirtations carefully, at least on the nights he calls Gladio to pick him up.

Gladio always wonders about the nights Ignis _doesn’t_ call him, when someone _else_ gives Ignis a ride home, and he feels that familiar sinking in his stomach.

He’s sure Ignis hooks up with other guys. He’s heard the rumors—rumors Ignis will strategically neither deny nor confirm when Gladio pries for answers, but he learned a long time ago that he’s just gotta take what he can get where Ignis is concerned, so he tries to focus on the present.

Gladio’s got the top down, and Ignis finally glances his way as though he’s just realized Gladio’s been waiting here this whole time.

“Oh hello, Gladio,” he smiles, looking hot as fuck in his tight slacks and suspenders and knowing it, probably fully aware of exactly what the sight is doing to Gladio.

Gladio smiles back. “Hey Iggy. Hi ladies.”

“Is that your boyfriend?” one of the women giggles into Ignis’s shoulder.

“Yes, how did you guess?” Ignis replies without pause.

Gladio’s not sure what he and Ignis are, but he knows damn well he’s not Ignis’s boyfriend, because Ignis has told him that about a thousand times, if not by words then by his actions.

Gladio doesn’t give him away in the moment though. He just smiles and gives a two finger wave that makes both the women let out a fresh wave of giggles.

Ignis gives them each a kiss on the cheek, and they exchange numbers, promising to invite him the next time they go out. Ignis steps into Gladio’s car with a broad and lasting smile that indicates he is probably not 100% sober, but he’s not wasted either. Gladio’s seen him much worse—or better, depending on how he looks at it. Properly wasted Ignis can be a lot of fun.

“How ya feeling, Ig?”

“Positively splendid,” Ignis admits, adjusting his seat so he can lie back a little, another dead giveaway he’s not fully sober. The _real_ Ignis Scientia insists on proper chairs with ergonomic settings. Tipsy Ignis kicks back.

“Where you wanna go? Just want me to take you back to your apartment, or?”

“Well, the night is still young…” Ignis muses.

Gladio looks down at his own outfit, black jeans and a grey muscle shirt. “If you wanna go out, I probably need to change…”

He kinda hopes Ignis will give him the chance. He’s always wanted to take Ignis out on a proper “date,” even if he knows Ignis would never allow him to call it that. But whenever Gladio tries to ask, Ignis always makes excuses, so Gladio takes what he can get, these little stolen moments when Ignis finds ways they can be together without it seeming inappropriate.

Truth be told, in another world, Gladio is 100% sure he would date Ignis and he’s like 95% sure Ignis would date him too. He’s also 100% sure that the uncertainty of the 5% is just how Ignis likes it. _Such a tease._

But it honestly works for Gladio, because he knows they can’t make anything official, so it’s probably good to keep things this way, at an appropriate arm’s length, so they don’t do something stupid and risk their respective positions.

Ignis is mostly quiet the rest of the drive. He takes the liberty of plugging Gladio’s auxiliary cord into his own phone and putting on some classical music—Beethoven, Gladio is pretty sure, and they keep it mellow the fifteen minutes to Ignis’s place.

This is one of the things he loves about Ignis, how he listens to piano sonatas after a night out. It’s rare the times he’s gotten to see Ignis sitting in front of a baby grand, but he knows Ignis plays beautifully. He rarely plays piano anymore though. He allows his life to revolve around Noct and forgets the things he loves. Of course, it’s the _right_ thing to do, but sometimes Gladio dreams of another life for Ignis where he doesn’t carry the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, where he hasn’t been a prince’s advisor since childhood and didn’t have to make sacrifice after sacrifice.

Of course, Gladio squeezes himself into the fantasy too, when he’s feeling particularly indulgent, imagines if he weren’t Noctis’s shield and they just met one night at a bar...but there’s no use dreaming. It is what it is.

He pulls into one of the visitor spots in the side lot where it’s dark. Ignis prefers everything they do on these nights to be done in secluded places. It’s sexy in a way, but also a little heartbreaking—for Gladio, at least—if he reads too much into it, which he tries not to.

As expected, Ignis gets out of the passenger’s side and sits in the backseat, without a word, expecting Gladio to follow, which he does, and when they’re side by side, Ignis finally, wordlessly leans in for a kiss.

He lets Gladio enjoy it, at least for a little while—the velvet of his lips, the hand that starts on his knee and makes its way along his stomach, then his chest before planting itself behind his neck and urging him closer. 

Gladio always marvels at the fact that he gets more gratification from Ignis’s kisses than all his one-night stands combined. There’s just something about Ignis, always has been, that makes Gladio’s pulse race and resistance fade.

Eventually Ignis backs away, just as soon as Gladio’s fantasizing about sliding off one of his suspenders, like Ignis senses when Gladio’s interest becomes too great, too earnest, and he won’t let him go that far.

“Of course, you know this is a one-time thing,” Ignis says.

“Yeah, you say that every time.” Gladio manages a grin because it is amusing, the way Ignis operates, but it also tears at him, just a little bit. Still, he doesn’t want Ignis to know it.

Ignis leans in and offers a gentle kiss to his neck before he whispers in that intoxicatingly flirtatious whisper, “Do I really?”

Gladio plays the game because he can’t fight the urge not to. He places his hand on Ignis’s waist and leans in, gently biting at his earlobe, hearing the hint of a gasp Ignis holds back before Gladio whispers, “Yeah, then you say I’m Noctis’s shield so we can never be together.”

Ignis bares his neck and pulls Gladio’s lips to his throat, long fingers entwined in Gladio’s hair.

Of course Gladio indulges Ignis’s desires, eagerly and hungrily, getting high on that enticing hint of Ignis’s cologne that he can smell even as his breath becomes shallow with desire.

Still, he knows Ignis has unspoken rules, even if they’re enforced with a gentle hand. No clothes come off, no intimate touches, just making out, plain and simple, in the back of a car, like they’re still a couple of teenagers, just like the first time they made out in the car seven years ago, the day Gladio got his driver’s license at 16. His first kiss, and Ignis’s too.

And after that day, Ignis slowly laid out these boundaries that Gladio has never broken, because he knows it’s for the best, but on nights like tonight, the relief of intimacy hurts and heals in equal measure. They’ve tried staying away from each other for so long, but the chemistry between them has always been irresistible, pulling them back to the exact same spot.

“Come upstairs,” Ignis whispers.

The request sends a shockwave through Gladio’s entire system. This is so much deeper than they always agreed they’d go.

Gladio has to look into his eyes to know if he’s being serious or if this is just some new game of his, some new way to tease him, but Ignis seems entirely earnest, nervous even. Vulnerable.

“How drunk are you?” Gladio asks into the electric silence. 

“I only had a couple drinks. I just...really wanted to see you,” he confesses with an averted gaze.

“Iggy,” Gladio nearly whines, reproachful, because Gladio can’t tell if he’s serious, and he’ll be devastated if he’s not.

“Apologies,” Ignis adds. “I suppose that request is out of bounds given what we agreed on.”

“I’m not keeping track, Iggy,” Gladio assures him. “I always want to see you.” He can’t have Ignis apologize for offering something Gladio’s wanted for so long, not even knowing how desperately he’d yearned for it until he heard the suggestion from Ignis’s lips.

“Well,” Ignis sighs, “while it’s nice to hear, of course it’s best we don’t…”

“Yeah...” Gladio agrees, and he doesn’t even really know who starts it, but they’re kissing again in seconds, and this time it’s fiery instead of languid, they’re kissing like this time’ll be their last, and Ignis is straddling his lap before he has time to think or breath or thank the astrals for such a sweet, unexpected gift.

“I know it’s a bad idea,” Ignis says, staring at him with imploring eyes. Gladio’s not sure if Ignis wants him to egg him on or make it stop. “One night, Gladio...and then we’ll go back to how things were?”

Gladio nods, and then he’s got his mouth on Ignis’s throat and his fingers on the buttons of his shirt.

Ignis backs away, and Gladio feels that familiar lurch in his stomach because he’s sure Ignis is about to take it back, and he feels stupid for believing for just a second that he wouldn’t.

But Ignis surprises him again. “Upstairs,” he explains, redoing the butting before removing his warmth from Gladio’s lap and getting out of the car.

Gladio wishes he could take a moment to breathe it all in and try to enjoy the reality that this is really, _finally,_ happening, but he can tell Ignis is impatient as he waits outside the car so he gets out too and follows Ignis to his apartment.

A new silence has fallen, one ripe with anticipation.

How long has Gladio wanted this? He thinks, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he always knew if it did happen, it would have to be like this, impulsive and sudden before either of them could think too hard about it. 

Ignis fumbles with his key in the lock. He’s literally shaking, and Gladio feels a deep tenderness warm his chest. 

He’s in love with Ignis, of course. He recognized the sentiment, reserved only for Ignis, long ago, but it’s something he can never say aloud, so he speaks it instead through the gentle way he takes the key from Ignis’s hand and slots it into the lock. 

Once the door swings open, he lets Ignis in first and follows close behind. Ignis takes off his shoes, so Gladio does too, and then he’s led to a bed of impossibly soft sheets where he lays Ignis down and tries so hard not to tell him how much he loves him as Ignis’s trembling hands reach for his belt.

* * *

He wakes up to fresh-smelling sheets and an empty bed full of beautiful memories, ones Gladio wants to recapture before they have a chance to disappear.

He lays back and closes his eyes and tries to remember every detail—soft skin and lust-soaked eyes, the freedom to touch and kiss those places he’s wanted to discover forever. The way it felt to be inside, to see Ignis so vulnerable and earnest, no teasing or smirks, nothing to hide behind because Ignis gave all of himself last night and Gladio gave all of himself back.

He practically runs to the kitchen and smiles as he sees the heavenly sight of Ignis in only boxer briefs and an apron cooking what smells like bacon.

Ignis turns and smiles, “Good morning,” he says simply before returning to his task, probably 100% aware of what he’s doing to Gladio in that adorably filthy outfit, awakening Gladio’s every dream of erotic and domestic bliss.

Ignis’s hair is down, unstyled, which reminds Gladio of Ignis in high school, precious and nerdy, not even vaguely aware of how hot he was like he is now. He was so awkward then, and cute as hell.

They share a nice breakfast. Pancakes and bacon with virgin Bloody Mary’s with an alluring quantity of garnishes. The whole meal looks like it came right out of a magazine.

Gladio is so enraptured by this unbelievable moment, so invested in this show of pretend—Ignis sitting across from him and grinning occasionally, wearing only boxer briefs and an oversized t-shirt that hangs off one shoulder. He left to put it on before they sat down to eat, and Gladio was practically drooling when he saw him, entirely pulverized by the sight of Ignis looking so informal and unguarded, laid bare in front of him.

When breakfast is done, Ignis reaches from behind Gladio’s shoulder to take his plate, and his arm brushes against Gladio’s chest and they both pretend like it’s nothing special, even though the tension thunders between them.

Gladio is leaning against the counter with Ignis at his side after they finish the dishes together, and he’s sure Ignis is going to invite him to stay.

And that’s when Ignis’s phone rings. It’s Noctis. He got a call from his dad about some report he’s supposed to read, and he can’t find it, and Gladio watches Ignis pace, seeing the wrinkle between his eyes reappear, witnesses his face settle into its usual, impassable expression—one might even call it cold if they didn’t know Ignis well enough.

When Ignis hangs up, he sighs, looks at Gladio, and Gladio thinks maybe there’s still some tenderness left and hopes maybe he’ll still get the invitation.

“I need to go to Noctis’s apartment, to help him find a report he’s misplaced.”

Gladio feels a sudden desperation not to let it happen this way. “It can probably wait, right? I mean, it’s Saturday, Iggy. There’s nothing that’s so urgent it can’t wait until tomorrow.”

He sounds like he’s begging, but he’s trying not to let his voice catch because that isn’t part of their unspoken promise. They’re supposed to pretend like this is all a game to them, like they don’t both wish it were different.

“It’s...well, it’s like we said,” Ignis replies weakly, “One night, and we go back to how things were.”

“Yeah,” Gladio replies, because he’s used to agreeing with Ignis on instinct. 

He forces himself to return to Ignis’s room because he can’t stand the silence or the weight of Ignis’s pity. He finds his clothes scattered across the floor, and he makes himself put them on, because if there’s anything he’s been taught to place value on as a shield it’s deprivation and self-discipline.

He ignores his sinking stomach, and he ignores the memories he’s leaving behind in the unmade bed, but once he notices the picture on Iggy’s shelf, he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from it. There’s two pictures, actually—one is of the four of them on Prompto’s 19th birthday, and the other is the one that’s got Gladio’s full attention. It’s of him and Ignis the day Gladio got his driver’s license. Gladio has got the same photo at home in a matching frame—a gift from Prompto.

The two of them look positively giddy with joy. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think it was because of the license and Gladio’s new car, but Gladio knows it’s from having an excuse to put their arms around each other. Of course, when the picture was taken, neither of them knew they’d be sharing their first kiss in the backseat just a few minutes later.

The nostalgia of it hits hard and deep.

_Deprivation and self-discipline._

He tears his eyes away, and he returns to find Ignis sitting on a stool at his kitchen counter, laptop open, emails up, though he doesn’t seem to be doing any work. He looks as numb and lost in thought as Gladio feels, but perhaps that’s just the last bit of hope Gladio’s clinging to that makes him believe that.

He approaches Ignis from behind and thinks about placing a hand on his shoulder, or even better, sneaking his arms across Ignis’s chest and kissing his cheek, taking one last chance to preserve the intimacy they’ve shared, but when he gets too close, Ignis quickly turns like he anticipated Gladio would try to break his resolve, and he refuses to let it happen.

He must see the hurt flash in Gladio’s eyes because his expression turns sympathetic as he attempts a smile and asks if Gladio has any plans for today.

Gladio makes up something about going to the park with Iris instead of admitting he has no plans because he doesn’t want Ignis to feel guilty for doing the right thing, for hacking apart the bond they made last night so it’s unrecognizable, so they can’t be tempted.

Gladio pretends it’s all okay until he puts his shoes on and Ignis waits by the door, on edge, like he’s got something to say.

Judging from Ignis’s stiff posture alone, Gladio is sure he doesn’t want to hear it, so he reaches for the door, but Ignis stops him with his voice.

“Thank you for picking me up last night, but I fear it’s very selfish of me to demand your time in that manner.”

 _He knew it,_ but he tries to play it cool.

“It’s fine, Iggy. I’m happy to—“

“What I mean is, perhaps it’s best I call a taxi in the future.”

“Yeah,” Gladio mumbles, because he’s positive he’s going to cry if Ignis forces him to have this conversation right now, to pry away what little joy he has left by reminding him it won’t last.

“I only meant,” Ignis adds weakly, “I only meant because it makes it harder, don’t you think?”

Gladio struggles with the statement. He can’t imagine life without the thrill of Ignis’s kisses, but it’s also true that the more attached they grow, the harder the inevitable future will become. Gladio will marry someone else, a woman of noble birth, and Ignis will remain a lifelong bachelor, and that’s how the story ends.

Ignis is right, of course. Ignis is always right, but a boy can still dream.

“Yeah, Iggy...but, uh, if you ever need a ride and you _can’t_ get a taxi or...you know I’m always here for you, right?”

“Yes, Gladio. I know.”

“Okay, good,” he nods, not quite able to meet Ignis’s eyes.

He returns to his car, and he tries to force himself out of the parking lot, tries to make himself just turn on the car and leave like he’s supposed to, but his mind keeps wondering—what it if he were to go back up there and tell Ignis he’s in love with him, or try to convince him to spend the day together, or make him promise that won’t be their last kiss. 

Instead, he sits in his parked car until he sees Ignis leave his apartment. It’s obvious he’s distracted. He fiddles with the key again, takes a few tries before he gets it right and tests the knob to make sure it’s locked before he’s down the stairs, eyes steadfastly downcast as he makes his way to his car. He’s so out of it that he doesn’t notice Gladio just a few cars down, watching as Ignis observes his own reflection in the tinted car window and pats at his red eyes, frowning disapprovingly before he opens the door and sits inside.

It takes a full minute before Ignis backs out of the spot and makes the turn that will lead him to Noctis’s apartment.

Gladio breaks down then. He cries and screams and hits his forehead against the steering wheel. He can still feel Ignis everywhere, can still smell him, remember his taste, the very salt of his skin. 

It’s pointless, of course, pathetic, but for a second there he thought it could all work out, and the worst part is knowing the end result is still the same, even though he’s almost sure Ignis felt the same way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t sleep last night because this scene kept running through my head & then I slowly realized it was the ending to this fic. Guess I can’t stand an unhappy ending after all haha.

“How was your date?” Gladio asks, his whole body tensing as he waits for an answer he doesn’t actually want to hear.

“How did you know about that?”

“You’re dating a glaive. Word gets around,” Gladio retorts, his tone much harsher than he means for it to be. He can’t help being upset when he pictures them together. Nyx is gorgeous and charismatic. Gladio just wishes it was someone he didn’t like, someone more like Ignis’s other meaningless flings, men who Gladio can write off. Nyx is a lot like Gladio, which means he’s Ignis’s type. 

“No one ever found out about you and me,” Ignis reminds him. 

“That’s because I don’t have a big mouth.”

“You think Nyx does?”

For some reason, it hurts even worse to hear him say his name, to _defend him,_ and then Ignis’s face softens all of the sudden, and Gladio is left defenseless again.

“No, he probably doesn’t. He’s a nice guy,” Gladio admits. But even if the rush of anger is gone, he still can’t stop his curiosity. “So...are you going on another date?”

“It’s probably best we don’t discuss topics like that.”

“Like what? Your life? Just because you don’t wanna date me, you’re gonna freeze me out of everything?” He’s embarrassed that his temper is already flaring again, but it’s all because at heart, no matter how many guys he hears about Ignis sleeping with, he still secretly believes Ignis belongs to him. They grew up together. He’s known Ignis since he was 7 years old, and his feelings about him have never changed. Gladio’s proven his loyalty and devotion, even if they’ve never been in an official relationship.

“Only when it comes to our love lives,” Ignis clarifies.

“I don’t _have_ a love life.”

Now it’s Ignis who starts to get annoyed. “You’re not the only one who hears rumors.”

“Okay, maybe I sleep around, but I don’t _date_ people.”

“It was one date!” Ignis protests.

“Did you sleep with him?”

“That’s an inappropriate question.”

“So you _are_ gonna freeze me out?”

“Gladio,” he strains the word, “I thought we agreed to spend one night together and move on.”

“But I can’t stop thinking about that night,” Gladio pleads. It’s as close as he’s ever gotten to saying how he really feels.

“You have to,” Ignis says, and Gladio finally sees the break in his facade, and he knows in an instant how Ignis feels, recognizes he’s just trying to be brave about it. And that’s all Gladio really needed to know to feel okay.

“You’re right. I’m sorry I barged into your office.”

“It’s alright…I suppose I should admit to you, lest word gets around, that I _am_ going on a second date with him.”

“Okay,” Gladio sighs. He thought he was finally resigned, but he still feels the sting of it. Ignis likesNyx enough for a second date. 

“And I did sleep with him.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know why I told you that,” Ignis sighs, his brow furrowing as he stares at his desk.

“I asked.”

”Perhaps I feel guilty.”

It’s a strangely vulnerable admission for Ignis to make, and Gladio doesn’t take that lightly. 

“No, it’s...I asked, didn’t I? And now I know. You slept with Nyx. You’re dating him.” 

“I’m sorry, Gladio.”

”It’s okay. I want you to be happy.”

Yeah, that sounds right. Even if it kills him, he really, really does.

  
  


* * *

He opens his apartment door after hearing a few firm knocks. He finds Ignis, looking unlike his usual self, a little nervous maybe. He doesn’t quite make eye contact.

“Everything okay? Noct and everything?”

“Yes,” Ignis nods. “Everything is fine. I’ve just...I’ve just made a rather rash decision by coming here unannounced.”

“What happened? You wanna come in?” Even though Ignis insists it’s fine, Gladio can tell he’s lost his usual calm stoicism, and that’s rare for Ignis, so Gladio can’t help but worry.

Ignis follows him inside, but flinches when Gladio closes the door as if he’d suddenly planned to make a run for it. 

“Iggy,” he says tentatively, and Ignis just falls into his arms, just like that, with no resistance whatsoever, and he’s holding Ignis in a way he’s never been allowed to before, and it feels so good to have Ignis’s head tucked under his chin and those arms wrapped around his waist, needing him and admitting it through the insistence of his grip.

He can’t help it. He’s kisses Ignis’s forehead and smooths one hand over his hair before gliding it down his shoulder to the small of his back. To his amazement, Ignis doesn’t protest the intimacy. He seems to lean into it, to demand more of it, simply judging by the way Ignis’s cheek presses more firmly into his chest. 

Gladio could cry from the unexpected experience of seeing Ignis so vulnerable, but he won’t, not until he knows what Ignis came here to say, because that could ruin everything, and he can’t let his heart go through that disappointment again.

Finally, Ignis speaks, pulling himself away from Gladio and revealing his eyes are not entirely dry.

“I hated to see you upset the other day, over Nyx. I hoped that if maybe I tried to move on, you could too.”

Gladio doesn’t speak, just rests his hands on Ignis’s waist and waits for the rest, liking where he _thinks_ it’s going, but knowing with Ignis he should never be too confident about what to expect.

“But I, um, I had to break things off, and the truth is...oh,” he sighs, slipping out of Gladio’s embrace, “You’re going to think it’s very foolish, what I’m about to say.”

“Doubt it,” Gladio nearly whispers, his entire body on edge, tingling with hopeful anticipation.

“My affections for you haven’t changed all these years. No matter how many people I sleep with, I’m always thinking of you. It’s so foolish.”

Gladio thinks of embracing him, but he knows how Ignis backs away the closer Gladio gets, and Gladio knows it’s a fine line they’re walking right now. He’s determined not to disrupt it, firmly believing every move he makes might wholly determine his fate. He just says, “It’s not. You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to be with. _Ever._ And I’m not just saying that. You know what a romantic I am. You’ve always been the person I dream about. Ever since we first kissed in the back of my car. Well, even before that.”

Ignis finally meets his eyes, but he’s still a little distant, not as earnest as Gladio would like him to be. He still won’t succumb to what’s obviously thrumming between them, an electricity that magnifies the importance of every word and movement. “If we decide to have a formal relationship...what would your father say?”

Gladio scratches the back of his neck, stalling because he knows Ignis won’t like the answer. “He wouldn’t be _happy,_ but–“

“That’s why we can’t do this.”

“ _But,”_ Gladio continues, “Maybe...I think I could convince him. He’s a good dad. He knows I’m bisexual, even if we’ve never talked about it. Hell, he probably knows how we feel about each other already.”

Ignis’s eyes go wide, horrified. “But I’ve taken pains not to indicate my feelings in public.”

“Yeah, so have I, but...he’s my dad. He knows me pretty well, and...I think he’s maybe caught me looking at you a few times.”

Ignis reveals his amusement, a slight tilt to his lip, “Oh really.”

It gives Gladio hope.

“Sometimes when me and my dad are on duty together, and I’m supposed to be watching Noctis, I think he’s caught me getting, um, _distracted.”_

Ignis lets out a breath of laughter. “That’s very sweet. Although probably not a good habit for the shield of the prince,” he adds, with mock sternness (and okay, maybe a little _actual_ sternness, because Ignis can never fully joke when it comes to Noctis).

“I’ll try to kick the habit. Maybe if the prince’s advisor would stop being so goddamn attractive and wear less tight pants…”

“Gladio!” Ignis chides, shakes his head, that secret grin still on his face as his cheeks color oh-so-slightly. 

“What I’m saying is, I’m willing to talk to him about it,” Gladio insists, “Regis, too. I’d do whatever it takes.”

“And if they say no?”

“I’ll have to beg you to dress in looser clothing.”

“But really?” Ignis worries, “What then?”

“At least we tried,” Gladio shrugs, “and it’ll be better than sneaking around or being jealous. At least we’ll know we did what we could, and honestly...now that we’re talking about it, I wish I would’ve asked sooner. Maybe it’ll work out.”

“I suppose we’ve shone we can work together all these years in spite of our feelings.”

“I honestly think it makes us a better team. Well, maybe not lately, because I’ve been so jealous of you and Nyx.”

“And that brings me to my _other_ worry...What if we break up? It could impact our ability to perform our roles.”

“I’ve been trying to shake my crush on you for...15 years now? It didn’t work. I know my feelings won’t change. Unless you think _you_ might not feel the same way?” Gladio is fully aware of how pathetic he sounds, but Ignis seems touched.

“I have long ago determined that my feelings will remain the same, despite my best efforts.”

“How long ago?” Gladio teases.

“None of your business.” Ignis offers a teasing grin.

“Gods, I fucking love you,” Gladio comments, not entirely sure how Ignis will take it, but not able to stop himself anyway. 

Ignis takes it in stride, like everything. He approaches Gladio, leans up to kiss him on the lips, slow and lingering. 

“I suppose I should be going,” Ignis says.

“No, no way,” Gladio insists. “You come all the way to my place, say all that, and now you wanna _leave,_ just like that?”

“Well, I’ll be back,” Ignis insists. “Now that we’ve discussed our plans, I’d like to get them in motion before we succumb to our desires further, lest anything make us stray off-course.”

Gladio is amazed by how Ignis using an unsexy and ancient phrase like “succumb to desires” makes Gladio want to rip his clothes off, but it’s honestly pretty standard for his dynamic with Ignis.

“One more kiss?” he asks, and Ignis obliges him, leaning up again, his hands straying up Gladio’s chest. Gladio’s breath hitches when Ignis’s hips grind against his ever so briefly. 

“Later, darling,” Ignis consoles, as he pulls away. “And…” he adjusts his necklace, “I suppose I should say... I love you too, Gladio. Don’t tell anyone,” he warns, and Gladio can’t help but kiss Ignis for as long as he’s allowed before Ignis pushes him away.

One last peck on the cheek, and Ignis is gone. Gladio allows himself to bask in it for a few moments, having Ignis come to his apartment, admit his feelings, tell him he’s in love. It’s just like a scene out of a classic romance novel, minus the sneaky hip thrust, which honestly made the whole thing better.

He pulls out his phone and dials his first contact.

“Hey Dad. Got a minute to talk?”


End file.
